SAN ANTONIO (WOAI) — Authorities launched an investigation after a newborn baby was found abandoned on a walking path.

On Tuesday afternoon, police received a report of an abandoned child on the side of the road at the intersection of Austin Highway and Corinne Drive on the northeast side.

The child was found just a short distance from a fire station, where under Texas law parents can hand over their children under 60 days of age to any fire station employee as long as they are unharmed.

Pamela Allen, CEO of Eagle’s Flight Advocacy and Outreach, said this could easily be prevented by allocating funds for “Baby Boxes,” a pathway for parents who don’t have the resources to care for their children, as part of Texas’ Baby Moses Law. Hand them over to the state.

“This is an act of desperation,” Allen said. “If you have a newborn baby up to 60 days old, you can safely deliver that newborn to the fire station and no charges will be filed against you. “Right now, that mother is dealing with accusations of abandoning her child.”

The child was found alive and taken for a health check. The child’s condition or the circumstances of the child’s discovery are unknown at this time.